The Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for an answer at offensive coordinator for long time, and while it’s just midway through his first season, it seems that they may have found one in Arthur Smith.
On Jan. 17, 2018 the Steelers elected to not renew Todd Haley’s contract for what would have been a second extension. This decision came despite the offense scoring 42 points in a divisional-round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars just days earlier. Since then, the Steelers have desperately been seeking an answer for their offensive coordinator.
Haley’s tenure, despite experiencing exceptional success from 2014-2017, was filled with hot and cold performances, shortcomings in the postseason, and a notable rift with his quarterback. With Ben Roethlisberger contemplating retirement going into the 2017 season, the Steelers were given a choice at the end of their 2017 campaign: ease the tension for Roethlisberger or consider moving forward with Haley.
The Steelers ultimately chose Roethlisberger and promoted his quarterback coach Randy Fichtner. The Steelers saw 3 seasons of Fichtner. In 2018, the offense became noticeably pass-happy and was truly Roethlisberger’s offense which led to a collapse; missing the postseason. In 2019, the beginning of the end started after a season-ending elbow injury for Roethlisberger. Fichtner was limited due to poor quarterback play that year, however, the heat grew after another late-season collapse led by a stagnant offense in 2020.
The Steelers were left with yet another decision: rely on stability or try to turn a stone to get the most out of the offense. They elected to move on once more. Their next hire proved to be worse with the promotion of Matt Canada. Roethlisberger’s 2021 swan song season ended with a playoff loss in Kansas City. After his retirement, Canada would be given two new quarterbacks. Each season, the quarterback play grew worse; with the offense failing to achieve 20 points per game.
In an uncharacteristic move, Mike Tomlin fired Canada following a loss in Cleveland. At the end of the 2023 season, Tomlin made it clear there would be no internal promotion. It was time to completely start over.
At the same time as Tomlin stated his intentions, the Atlanta Falcons decided to part ways with their head coach Arthur Smith. Smith would receive a call from Tomlin shortly after his departure from Atlanta and things got rolling from there. Smith was officially hired on February 2nd, 2024.
Like Haley, the hiring of Smith featured a former head coach who had a previous successful offensive coordinator tenure. This might have been a detail overlooked as there was a mixed reaction to his hiring. Although his Atlanta offenses were underwhelming–which also show cased egregious quarterback play–Smith was masterful with the Tennessee Titans.
In his two seasons, he oversaw an offense that turned around the career of Ryan Tannehill, ascended Derrick Henry, and established A.J. Brown as a household name at receiver. His offenses would establish 25.1 and 30.7 PPG after failing to exceed 20 PPG the previous two seasons. Sound like a familiar challenge?
So far, Smith has shown a positive return on investment for the Steelers offense. Through 8 games, he has boosted almost every category for a once-stagnant offense.
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 (8 games) |
| Points Per Game | 18.1 (26th) | 17.9 (28th) | 23.4 (15th) |
| Yards Per Game | 322.6 (23rd) | 304.3 (25th) | 328.1 (16th) |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 200.6 (24th) | 186.1 (25th) | 190 (24th) |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 121.9 (16th) | 118.2 (13th) | 138.1 (8th) |
Certainly, things could be better. One can look at Monday night and immediately point out red zone performance is a big concern. In the full scheme of things which includes multiple offensive line injuries, two cast off quarterbacks, and an underwhelming wide receiver room, Smith is getting the most out of this offense. Each week, things seem to be pointing up.
The second half of the season will not be forgiving. With all six divisional games, a red hot Commanders team, and two teams who have seen the Super Bowl recently, the Steelers will be in for a challenge. However, the Steelers may be up for it with an offensive coordinator who has been worth the investment.